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Life

Pandemic Birthday Ideas

Grace Springer
Kent State Contributor
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kent State chapter.

Everyone has likely been through at least one COVID birthday so far, but this year, things are finally looking a little better. Depending on your comfort level and vaccination status, there are options for fun things to do to celebrate a birthday safely. I will start with ideas that are safe for everyone, then those for vaccinated people. 

 

Virtual Party 

Woman with curly hair waving and saying hi to someone through her laptop.
Photo by Yan from Pexels

If it is not yet safe to celebrate in person, a virtual gathering could be for you! With services like Zoom, Google Meet and FaceTime, it is possible to make a virtual party fun. For my last birthday, I had a virtual tea party with some friends online. I also had my mom prepare a scavenger hunt list of miscellaneous household items where whoever found the most in a time limit won. We had a great time and it was the best plan for that stage of the pandemic.

 

Drive-by/Parade 

car mirror reflection
Photo by Michael Skok from Unsplash

Another safe celebration would be having a car parade. This is a way to see friends in person from a distance. The drive-by only lasts a little while, but I love that this idea brings people together. 

 

Small Gathering Outside

Stars behind pickup truck and bonfire
Photo by Dusty Barnes from Unsplash

The CDC supports small outdoor gatherings. I would recommend a campfire or outdoor barbeque. It is always appropriate to keep a six-foot social distance, see more information about masking requirements here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/participate-in-activities.html

 

See Vaccinated Friends

Group of friends laughing
Photo by Gemma Chua-Tran from Unsplash

If you are two weeks out from your final shot of the COVID vaccine, the CDC says it is okay to start seeing other fully vaccinated friends. For my next birthday, my wish is to be able to see more of my immediate family. For more information look here (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/small-gatherings.html) under the “Safer Small Gatherings” heading. 

 

We have been very cautious throughout this time in order to protect ourselves and others. Now that the United States is rolling out vaccines, we can expect to be returning to something more normal, but until then, we will continue to see each other safely, even for special occasions like birthdays.

Grace Springer

Kent State '24

Grace is a Journalism Major and Media Advocacy Minor at Kent State University. She is interested in music and plays flute for the KSU Marching Band. Other clubs she is involved in are Sunrise Kent State and Tau Beta Sigma.
Junior at Kent State, with a mojor in journalism and a minor in fashion media. I like to write about fashion, lifestyle and Harry Styles.